Furnace for electrical oxidization of gases



B. THOMAS.

FURNACE FUR ELECTRICAL OXIDATION 0F GASES. APPLICATJON r1LEn1uLv|8,|917.

1 ,359,933. Panted Nov. 23, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

B. THOMAS. FURNACE FOR ELECTRICAL OXIDATION 0F GASES.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 13 19H.

Patented Nov. 23]'1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

B. THOMAS.

FURNACE FOR ELECIRICAL oxiuAnoN 0F GASES.

APPLCAHON FiLED JULY 18, 19H.

Patented N ov. 23, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHHET 3.

lwumatoz l Innung UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

BRUNO THOMAS, 0F SEATTLE. LASHINGTON1 FNAG' For ELECTRICAL oxInIzATIoN oF GASES.

Application' ami hay le. 1911. serial No, 181.191.

To d 'cli/loin.' it ma conce-:cu

lie it, known that I, Blmxo Tnouas, a citizen ofthe lnitcd States, and resident of the city tiff Stttle; county ot' King` and State of Washington; hai'c iitrtuted certain new aud useful Inipr'oreiiientsiu Furnaces for lllectrical Uxidization of tia'ses`-t of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to' furnaces in' which oxidization of gases is produced by means of an electric are. Unc of thc principal uses for which this furnace is designed is for the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. lt is. however. to be understood that while this is referred to us thc principal use of the furhactu lt may bi: employed for auyother purpose to which lt is adapted.

The object of my invention is to improve upon the featlu'cs of construction ot' such furnace and to thereby obtain a higher etlicicucy of action. To secure this result l have modified lthc design of the furnace in such way as it is believed will better subject the air to the action of thc arc and at the same time will rapidly cool thc gascs` al'tcr lharing been suhjcctcd to the arc. thereby ncventihg dissociation of the gases which lave` been combined under the influence of the are. f

The novel features of my invention may be determined from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and the following specification. and thc features which are bclieved to be patcntablc will bc delincd b thc claims.

Figures l and 2 are, respectively. vertical section and transverse horizontal section oi one type ot' construction.

Figs. 3 and 4 are. respectively. vertical scction und horizontal section. the latter upon the lino 4 4 of Fig. 3. showing a slightly modified construction.

Figs. 5 und (i, i' and 8. and fl and lil. taken in pairs are. respectiveiv. vertical sections and horizontal sections ol modified construe* tions of furnace..y

Tn theiform of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, l represents the furnace chamber, or that in which the arc is produced. 2 represents the outer electrode and 3 the inner electrodo. The. outcr electrode is here shown :is au amuilus having its upper surface as a frustum ot' a conc. This electrode is preferably made hollow and water is circulated through this by means of the pipes 4, 4. l

"' The central electrode il is made hollow and is located within the outer electrode 2. In the construction shown in Fi fs 1 and 2, the cooling of the inner electro( e is b means ol' a current of air which is supplie( thereto through the pipe :i2 which forms the support for the electrode.

The electrode 3 in the form of two separated disks 3U which are joined bv wings or rancs Ill. which are prefcrablv giccn a spiral character. so that the air in discharging is given a tangential irripulse. tbercb)` producing a whirling movement which throws the ail' out. against the outer, water cooled walls o1l the chamber l. The arc is formed between the outer edge of thc electrode 3 and thc conical upper surface. of' thc electrode 2. rl`he air issuing from the periphery otthe inner electrode passes through this arc and is then immediately thrown out against the water cooled walls ot' the furnace chamber. ln consequence. it is quickly cooled a iter being subjected to thc combining action of the clcctlig` arc.

'lhc hole through the base 15. upon which the furnace is mounted and through which thc pipe 32 carrying the inner electrode passes. is larger than the pipe` thus leaving an annular passage IG. This communicates withthe chamber 1T formed in the base l5, which chamber is substantially concentric with the opening lt. The air lsupplied thereto is intrmiuced to this chamber through a pipi` IR. which pipe ma)y be 'and preferablyr is. placed so as to bc substantially tangential to the chamber 17. thereby giving the air a rotative cti'cct in' this chamber` which elt'ect persists when it is discharged between thc electrodes.

The construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is, in the main. similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2. The. inner electrode 34 is, however. so constructed as to be water cooled and the` air is all introduced around the` supporting pipe or stem 32 and none of it. through the electrode. The electrode 34 is in the form of a thick hollow disk and within this is placed a plate disk 5` which has 'u hole centrally thereof which connects with a pipe .'10, which extends downward through the pi )e 32 and through which water is supplied. he water which is discharged at the upper surface of the disk 5 Hows about the outer edge thereof, which outer edge is spaced inward from -6, the inner electrode 35 is of cy indrical character and hollow. The outer electrode 20 is-inthe form of a ring or annulus which surrounds the inner electrode and is spaced therefrom thus formin 4a channel for the passa e of, the air. Bot of these are water cool The channel 16, through which the air enters the furnace chamber, has at its lower end a set of an larly placed vanes or blades 6 which give tle1 entering air a whirling movement. The arc, when first formed, is in the assa e 16, but the current of air entering t eretrough will blow the arc out into the chamber 1.

The furnace construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 .is like that shown in Fi s. 5 and 6, with the exception that the two e ectrodes 20 and 35 are made of the same height, whereas, in Fi s. 5 and 6, the inner electrode is considera ly higher than the outer.

The construction shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is similar to that shown in the two preceding forms with the exce tion that the inner electrode is of but hal the height of the outer. In these two figures the position of the entering air has been shown as tangential to the air supply chamber 36. Otherwise the construction is the same as 1n the two pre-0 ceding forms.

By the construction of furnace as herein described the electrodes may be .kept cool Vand the air immediately after being supplied to the influence of the are, is brou ht into direct contact with the cooling sur..aces of the furnace wallr At the same time the cooling of the electrodes materially in also cooling the chamber and the gases after treating.

What l claimasmy invention is:

. 1. In a furnace ofthe character described two concentric electrodes spa'ed apart to form an"`annular air inlet dpassage, and inclined 'venes located in sai passage to ive the incomin air a whirling movement a out the axis of't e electrodes before entering the arci chamber.

2. furnace of the character described comprising a ring-like outer electrode having a conical inner surface, a coniplelnental electrode positioned within und adjacent the tip of said cone and heilig hollow and having air discharge openings about its periphery.

3. A furnace of the character described having a ring-like electrode, an inner electrode having a hollow stein passing through the central opening of the other electrode, and means for introducing.r nir through said inner electrode and its stem, said inner electrode having openings about its periphery discharging the air in a general tangential direction.

4. A furnace of the character described havin a ring-like electrode` an inner elec trode aving a stein passing through the centra] openin of the other electrode, said inner electro e and stem being hollow for the passa e of air therethrough, said inner electrode eing provided with peripheral opcn ings discharging the air in approximately a tangential direction.

5. A furnace of the type described having two concentric electrodes, the inner electrode being disk shaped and hollow and having spiral vanes therein and peripheral openings, and a hollow stem supporting said iuner electrode, whereby a cooling medium may be passed through said electrode. W6. In a furnace of the type described, a ring electrode having a conoidal arcing sur face, a oomplemental electrode within and adjacent the tip of said conoidal surface and leaving an annular gas inlet between the two electrodes and means for supplying the gas to be treated to said inlet with a movement of rotation about the axis of said inlet opening.

l7. In a furnace of the type described, a ring electrode having an inner eonoidal surface, a complemental inner electrode within.

the opening of the ring electrode, a preliminary gas receiving chamber into which the as is introduced to give it a whirling inotion, said chamber having a central gas supply connection with the annular space between the electrodes.

Signed at Seattle. Tashiugtom this 12th day of July, 1917.

BRUNO THOMAS. 

